Ageless Style Linkup party shorts over 40 turning fashion into style in midlife High Latitude Style

mature fashion woman in California Casual

fashion over 40 woman in leather shorts with shirt — Oliveo leather shorts, Shein patched button down shirt, statement belt, neckerchief, Longchamp bag (all own), bomber jacket c/o Shein, and Musse & Cloud wood sandals c/o Coolway

My shorts story

Most people associate shorts with summer, sunshine, fun, play, weekend, and vacation. Well, so did I when I was in my 10s, and 20s. These events were the only occasions I wore them back then. In my 30 and 40s, I rarely wore shorts. In Germany, I lived in a city. There you just don’t wear them when you live in the middle of down town more or less just around the corner of the symphony and theater. After coming to Alaska, I stopped considering shorts being a summer item. Sorry, but I don’t like to be lunch, afternoon snack, appetizer or dinner for the millions of mosquitoes in the Interior. You can wear them for gardening or just sitting in your yard. 😉

fashion over 50 woman in shorts and shirt — Back view of outfit with Oliveo leather shorts, Shein shirt, Longchamp pliage (all own), bomber jacket c/o Shein, and Musse & Cloud wood sandals c/o Coolway

In my closet shorts are winter items

Ever since the short suits came up in the zero years, I think of shorts as a winter, work appropriate item. At work, I don’t have much opportunity to wear suits – scientists in physics based fields rarely dress up for conferences and if they do they wear old-fashioned suits. Therefore, I invested in a pair of dress shorts made of leather, i.e. in a signature style piece.

style over 50 woman in California Casual look — Side view of California Casual outfit with Oliveo leather shorts, Shein patched shirt, neckerchief, Jord bamboo wood watch, Longchamp bag (all own), bomber jacket c/o Shein, and Musse & Cloud wood sandals c/o Coolway

How I wear my shorts over 50

I wear my shorts when the tourists are in town to not look like a tourist. Now you probably have three questions: What do the tourists wear? And what about my fear of mosquitoes? Why would I have to try not to look like a tourist in my own hometown?

Alaskan tourists wear long pants and long sleeve shirts or jackets. No, it’s not about their fear of mosquitoes. It’s about their fear that it is cold in Alaska. It is rarely cold when there is daylight. There are barely any mosquitoes on the dinning decks on the river. There are no places for the mosquitoes to hide. Thus, they aren’t there. Thus, I can wear my “winter shorts” as shown below.

Oliveo pants, Notation floral blazer, structured bag, Tee, Ray Ban sunglasses (all own)

Oliveo leather shorts, Nine West booties, semi-opaque tights, Oliveo button-down shirt, blazer, Ray Ban sunglasses (all own)

Ann Taylor blazer, Oliveo shorts, Brooks Brothers sweater, H buckle belt, Ray Ban aviator sunglasses, and Harley Davidson booties (all own)

Orvis Irish cable knit sweater, Oliveo custom-made leather shorts, GNW tights Double H lace-up booties, and Alaska lamp trade beads and silver carving necklace (all own)

Oliveo shorts with Carhartt gingham shirt, Michael Kors sandals, and Ray Ban sun glasses (all own) Oliveo shorts, Pippa bag, H buckle and belt, Hermes bangle, short sleeve blazer, gray Tee, Ray Ban purple mirrored glasses

Gold shorts with tights, Great Northwest button-down shirt, GNW tights, Steve Madden Mary Janes (all own)

Oliveo shorts with striped T-shirt, floral scarf, Ray Ban sunglasses, Kieselstein Cord belt and buckle, straw baseball hat, and thong sandals

In Alaska, many young European work as waiter or waitresses over the summer. Thus, they don’t know the locals. However, they quickly learn that they locals dress much lighter than the tourists. Thus, I avoid to have to answer the question “Where do you come from?” I can order without waiting for them to bring the menu. When they have just arrived they don’t know what’s on there. When they know you are local, they just write it immediately down without first checking.

Shorts OOTD

For the OOTD, I went for a California Casual inspired look. I paired my leather shorts with a trendy button down patched shirt, a big buckle statement belt, long dangling earrings, wood plateau sandals, a big cuff and a bamboo wood watch. Since the sky looked like a mesoscale convective systems was building over the Tanana Flats, I took a jacket with me when running errands. Just in case that the cool gust fronts of the thunderstorm system would make me feel cool. I added my yellow pliage to pick up the yellow in the patches of the shirt and the printed abstract flowers of the neckerchief.

Shorts in fashion over 40 – yay or nay? What do you think? Do you like shorts? Do you wear them? Or do you find the look nice, but think it’s for millennials, not for fashion over 40?